The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-20

went to Seasconset Called 'sconset for
shorD by the narrow guage railroad, a ride
of eleven miles over a level and rather desc
late-lookng country. Before leaving, Billy
Clark, the town Crier of Nantucket, who is
quite a character in his way and an object
of considerable interest to visitors, put in
an appearance, carrying a large horn, an
American flag and bouquet, the latter of
which he presented to Governor Ormsbee.
He accompanied the party to 'Sconset, and
on arriving at that place traversed the
streets, blowing his horn at intervals and
shouting that the governor of Vermont
and party were in town and all who wanted
| to see them should come right out at once.
| Sconset has large hotel, some curious
houses, fine beach and good surf-bathng.
On returning from this trip the excur-
sionists held social gathering in the hotel
parlor, which was preceded by business
meeting of the association. A. II. futile,
ex-president of the association, was placed
! on the roll of honorary members and Arthur
| Ropes of Montpelier and o. L. French of
| Brattleboro were elected members. The
| committee on nominations, consisting of
Messrs. Swain, Blake and Ranney, reported
the following list of officers for the ensuing
| year: G.. G.. Benedict of Burlington, presi-
dent; Warren Gibbs of st. Adams, first vice
president; w. ID. McMaster of Woodstock,
second vice-president ID. NJ. Camp of New
port, third vice-president; G. s. Forbes of
st. Adams, secretary; G. M Stone of St.
] JOunSDuIN, ITbuSuItIf lIs W bTttnt Oh
| Woodstock, Albert Clarke of Rutland and
ID. w. Dixon Of Montpelier, executive
committee. The list of officers as reported
was unanimously elected, w. F. Scott,
from the committee on resolutions, reported
the following, which were unanimously
adopted:
ISOLATION recognizes the fact that they lost an ac
! tive and esteemed member, and one who had the
Resoired That we tender to the widow and family
of the deceased our heartfelt sympathy
Following the business meeting a brief
address on some phases of modern journal
ism was delivered by Hon. b. ID. Harris of
Brattleboro, and Mrs. NJ. j. Francisco of
Rutland read an original poem, entitled
" The Editors Vision" Then brief and
felictous addresses were made by Governor
Ormsbee, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fuller, Gen
eral Grout, Colonel Hooker and ID. l..
| Milliken. AT an early hour Friday morning
the excursionists took their departure home
ward, several returning by Woods Holl
| and Boston, but the greater number by way
of New Bedford Taunton and Fitchburg
| The excursion was in all respects thoroughly
enjoyable, and the accommodations pro-
vided by the railroads and hotels for the
comfort and pleasure of the party deserve
special acknowledgment. The thanks of
the association are also due the executive
committee, Mr.. Greene and Colonel Clarke
for the successful performance of their task
in arranging and carrying out the details of
the trip
Some account of Nantucket may be of in
| terest to those who have not visited the
island. 1t was discovered by Bartholomew
Gosnold in 1902, and the first white settlers
| arrived in 1863. Some of their descendants
still reside on the island. 1t lies twenty
seven miles from the nearest coast line and
| twenty-one miles from the eastern ex-
tremity of Martha's Vineyard; is fifteen
miles in length, with an average breadth of
four miles, and has an area of fifty square
miles. The island was originally covered
with forest trees, mostly oaks, and was in
habited by two small tribes of Indians,
numbering in all about seven hundred per-
sons. In 1868 an Indian plague swept off
two hundred TWENTY-FIVE Indians leay-
ing only one hundred thirty-six. The last
Indian died in 1922 The whaling industry
began to develop as early as 1873, but was
not carried on to great extent until a CEN
fury later. 1t attained its greatest pros
perity in 1910, when there were eighty-six
Nantucket ships engaged in the whale
fishery and the population of the island was
9,712. By the last census the population
was only 3,777. The principal town is Nan
tucket, formerly called Sherburne, which,
though itnow presents the appearance of de-
cay, in many respects resembles some of the
large villages on the mainland, having paved
streets, curbed sidewalks, brick blocks, a
variety of stores. bank, several hotels
some modern residences, fine shade-trees
and pretty gardens. AT present the greater
number of streets and dwellings are not
kept in good repair. There are several
churches Gncuding two Quaker meeting
houses, two newspapers, high school, "A
library and a museum. The latter is well
filed with rare and curious things brought
by Nantucket mariners from foreign lands,
Indian relics, Nantucket antiquities, etc.
Another object of interest is an old wind
mill constructed in the ancient way and
which is preserved by its owner as an at
traction to visitors Whaling began to de-
cline in 1916 and the town has since suf-
fered from two destructive fires. These Wis
itations, in connection with the rush for
California gold, the war of 1S61-5, the
scarcity Of whales, the decline in the value
of oil caused by the discovery of petroleum,
and possibly the greater enterprise of the
ship-owners and masters of New Bedford,
contributed to the rapid decline of business
in Nantucket, which is now looking to other
sources to restore its prosperity. The town
was quite dead when, about 1872, il began 10
be a popular summer resort. Since that
year its condition has been gradually inn
proving. Something more than five hun
dred vessels have been wrecked around
Nantucket in over two hundred years. and
the cemetery contains the remains of some
sixty persons found drowned on the shores
of the island. 1t is stated that sixteen hun
dred Nantucketers lost their lives in one
way or another in the revolutionary wal
and considerable number in the war OF
1872. soldiers monument commentaries
large number of soldiers who served in the
war of 1861 Much of the soil of Nantucket
looks worthless for tillage, but in the towns
we find thrifty fruit-trees and promising
neutrality-suspicious.. We We're told that the
} land produces fine grapes, ounces and her
ries, and among the vegetables the hard
shell, warty pumpkin of Nantucket is es
teemed the best grown in New England
The ocean in the vicinity of the island yields
an abundance of blue-tsh, cod, bass, soup
, mackerel sharks, herring and other fish,
though there is just now scarcity of fish
in certain localities most frequented by Wis
ting fishermen. There are several ponds
on the island, which afford an unfailing sup
ply of wholesome drinking-water The
island is generally considered healthy fol
those with whom the sea-air agrees, and is
somewhat noted for the longevity of its in
habitants. 1t bids fair to become a great
summer resort, and in this way it may il
time recover in great measure the pros
perity it has lost by the ruin of the whale
fishery.